Instructional Assistant-Biological Sciences

Salary : $56,678.77 - $76,414.55 Annually
Location : Costa Mesa, CA
Job Type: Classified Staff
Job Number: O-067-24
Division: Orange Coast College
Department: IS/Math&Sci
Opening Date: 03/25/2024
Closing Date: 4/12/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
Definition
(ON-CAMPUS - in-person position)
Orange Coast College (OCC) is seeking equity-minded individuals for a classified employee role as an Instructional Assistant-Biologicial Sciences under the Instructional Wing, as part of the Math and Sciences Division to a variety of support areas in the Biology department.
About Orange Coast College (OCC)Orange Coast College's 164-acre campus is located in Costa Mesa just minutes from Southern California's beautiful beaches. Orange Coast College (OCC) was founded in 1947 with the mission to serve the educational needs of a diverse local and global community. The College empowers students to achieve their goals by providing high-quality, culturally responsive, and innovative programs and services through pathways leading to degrees, transfers, certificates, foundational skills, workforce development, and lifelong learning. The College promotes student development, learning, and equitable outcomes by fostering a respectful, inclusive, caring, and participatory campus climate of student engagement and academic inquiry.
OCC engages in a variety of professional development opportunities and partnerships so that we can serve disproportionately impacted groups. Student-centered activities that support OCC's mission include campus-wide student success projects funded by the Office of Student Equity; partnerships with local Hispanic Serving four-year institutions; active programs that work to improve the academic achievement of racially minoritized students, such as PUENTE and UMOJA; Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and Disabled Student Program and Services (DSPS). Additionally, OCC is an officially designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and has an eligibility designation as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).
D.E.I.A. - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-RacismThe Coast Community College District (Orange Coast College, Golden West College, and Coastline) continues to strengthen our efforts around diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and anti-racism. Orange Coast College is focused on creating a culture of inclusive excellence by uplifting employees and students through an environment that is equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible. We have a strong focus and importance on D.E.I.A. and Anti-Racism (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility) and will be actively listening, assessing, and evaluating this throughout each stage of the application, recruitment, and interview process.

• Orange Coast College - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Page
• Orange Coast College - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Plan (DEIA)

Ideal candidates for this position share OCC's devotion to educating and improving the lives of our representative students, employees, and community populations. We currently enroll 17,102 students, the majority of whom are from racially minoritized populations: 36% of OCC's students are Latinx, 2% are African-American, 25% are Asian, less than 1% Native American, 29% are White, and 5% are multiracial.
Orange Coast College Employee-Student Demographic Information
Direct Link:
Department Specifics:About OCC's Biological Sciences
The Biology department offers approximately 50 labs per semester in a range of courses for non-majors general education Biology, organismal, and molecular biology. This position will work with other support staff to provide laboratory preparation support for courses which may include Microbiology, as well as Anatomy, Physiology, and the non-majors general Biology course. The position supports courses in offered in the summer and will provide additional support to other areas of Science as needed.
SummaryProvides tutorial, technical assistance, and/or lab support to students either in a classroom or walk-in laboratory setting, who are usually but not limited to, pre-college, non-credit certificate, or non-transfer course work. Tasks performed require technical competence in the subject taught.
Distinguishing Career FeaturesThe Instructional Assistant - Biological Sciences/Chemistry is the first level in a career path for the classroom, walk-in and scheduled labs, and tutoring. The Instructional Assistant - Biological Sciences/Chemistry will demonstrate subject matter competency in pre-college or first-year academic courses and other occupations that result in a certificate. Instructional Assistants may also be assigned as the second position in more advanced and scientific courses.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Specific duties may vary among departments, divisions, and jobs. Incumbents typically perform a substantial portion or all of the following types of duties, as assigned:

• Works with faculty/instructional administrator to design, construct, troubleshoot, modify, or rebuild equipment, modules, and experiments that will be used in the classrooms/ laboratories in a division comprised of various related but different subject areas.
• Assists in laboratory preparation for all assigned Biological Sciences/Chemistry classes.
• Creates written instructions for the use of lab services and computer equipment, as necessary. Creates answer keys for sample materials for all materials in instructional materials files.
• When performing setup, calculate amounts and portions such as mass, volume, length, percentage, concentration levels, angles, etc. Safely keeps and properly disposes and/or takes down the experiments and simulations.
• Makes repairs to equipment and learning assistance devices. Checks out and maintains control over tools, equipment, supplies, and materials used by students. May be required to maintain contact with appropriate vendors.
• Maintains records of laboratory activity, including typing forms or inputting data or otherwise retaining information regarding the acquisition, maintenance, and distribution of tools, equipment, materials, supplies, and/or written materials.
• Provides for the general cleanliness and security of the laboratory or shop work area. Handles and disposes of harmful or hazardous materials according to specific instructions relating to their disposal. Participates in providing a safe environment for the conduct of the laboratory. Reports maintenance problems as they occur.
• Attends training as necessary to maintain currency of knowledge and communicates safety concerns and necessary updates to supervisors.
• Performs other related duties as assigned that support the objective of the position.
• Required to abide by all District policies and procedures including Board Policy 3050 - Code of Professional Ethics.

Qualifications and Physical Demands
Knowledge and Skills

• The position requires a working knowledge of the principles and properties of general and analytical chemistry, biology, chemistry, or physics.
• Requires working knowledge of chemical reactions.
• Requires working knowledge in the use of basic-to-advanced scientific and laboratory equipment.
• Requires in-depth knowledge of laboratory or workshop procedures, organization, equipment, tests, experiments, and simulations.
• Requires knowledge of safe and proper handling of harmful chemicals, substances, and hazardous wastes.
• Requires a well-developed knowledge of instructional methods and techniques.
• Requires advanced mathematics skills to make calculations for the preparation of chemical solutions and compounds, including statistical confidence limits, algebraic computations, weights volumes, and percentages.
• Requires sufficient knowledge of computers to use common desktops and specialized applications used in education.
• Requires sufficient knowledge of the English language to prepare correspondence and materials suitable for classroom presentation.
• Requires sufficient human relations skills to facilitate learning and to convey technical concepts to others.
• Requires sensitivity to the needs of students of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Abilities

• Requires the ability to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the position.
• Requires the ability to carry out the responsibilities of the position and set up laboratory assignments, experiments, simulations, and tests.
• Requires the ability to prepare instructional equipment, solutions, and solids for laboratory experiments.
• Requires the ability to operate, calibrate, and perform minor repairs to laboratory equipment and tools.
• Requires the ability to conduct research on educational materials and equipment.
• Requires the ability to maintain the lab and equipment in a safe and organized manner, including the handling of hazardous or dangerous materials and equipment as required for some labs.
• Requires the ability to perform routine record-keeping and report-writing duties.
• Requires the ability to organize and prioritize work and manage time effectively.
• Requires the ability to communicate in both formal and informal settings with students, instructors, and other interested parties.

Physical Abilities

• The general physical demands, working conditions, and essential job functions associated with this classification will be kept on file with the Office of Human Resources.
• Essential functions will vary by position.
• As defined by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and California's Fair Employment and Housing Act ("FEHA"), the District shall engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with employees or employment applicants who are requesting or are in need of reasonable accommodations and, provide reasonable accommodations for employees or employment applicants who, because of their disability, are limited in or unable to perform one or more of the essential functions of their job in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

Education and Experience and demonstrated evidence of D.E.I.A. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility):

• The position requires a High School diploma or equivalent and completion of a certificate program at the college level or internship in a trade. Six months of prior experience tutoring students, supporting, or setting lab exercises.
• Or, any combination of education and experience which would provide the required equivalent qualifications for the position.

AND

• Demonstrated evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the racial, ethnic, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, academic, and cultural diversity within the community college student population, including students with different ability statuses (e.g., physical and/or learning) as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded practice within the classroom.

Licenses and Certificates

• May require a valid driver's license.

Desirable Qualifications include:

• Background in Biology coursework that includes laboratories, especially microbiology and organismal biology and/or anatomy and physiology.
• Experience assisting faculty or lead support staff in preparing laboratories for related courses.
• Experience working in a science laboratory or equivalent experience working in a hands-on work setting.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed predominately indoors where some safety considerations exist from lifting and relocating medium-weight materials.

Conditions of Employment

• Note: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment VISA at this time.

(ON-CAMPUS - in-person position) This is a permanent, general-funded, full-time, 12-months per year classified position. The normal hours of work will be Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with the flexibility to occasionally work extended hours and/or weekends, if necessary, to meet the needs of the department. The effective date of employment will be arranged with the supervisor. The District provides medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee and eligible dependents and life insurance for the employee.(Salary Schedule: EE-113)

• Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment.
• The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in Coast Community College District policies, procedures, and Title IX. (Reference: BP/AP 5910 )
• The Coast Community College District celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Individuals interested in advancing the District's strategic diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Pay Philosophy:Through policies, practices, and other benefit programs, Coast Community College District delivers a fair and equitable total compensation program that promotes equal employment opportunity, inclusion,...